Puglia in March. Thoughts?

There is a direct train from Rome that goes thru Bari and down to Lecce. Since Lecce is your farthest south destination you might want to start in Rome and take the train to Lecce (about 6 hours). You can get around by public transit but a car is useful in Puglia. Lecce is more like a suburb than a city such as Rome or Florence in terms of driving difficulty, so there would be no problem staying in the historic center and parking at one of the lots just outside the walls.

We were there in Sept instead of spring. The retail shops, churches, museums closed around 1pm and didn't reopen until 4-6pm. Restaurants were open until around 2pm for lunch and then closed until 7-8pm. So most sightseeing was done in the morning. You might want to check what the hours would be in March but I suspect they would be similar.

Did you definitely want to include Rome? Did you price out flying in/out Bari and Brindisi? I did not find flying to either substantially more expensive than flying to Rome, so just making sure exhausted options. I would rather change planes (once) over having to transfer back and forth from Rome. It is worth the extra expense, to a point.
If the weather is nice, I would think you could find someone willing to take your money for a boat ride :)
All of those places will have open restaurants, etc. open. You only have to plan around the pausa. Check opening times for anything you want to see. For example, we figured the cathedral in Otranto would be open all day, but it was closed when we passed by.

It was hairy driving in and out of Lecce, but nothing I would especially go out of my way to avoid. (Of course we only drove out of Bari.) Everywhere else the driving is pretty easy. When you drive to Matera, be sure to map to the side of town where your hotel is, as there are multiple ways to approach and you'll want the easiest for avoiding ZTL.

Did you definitely want to include Rome?

I do not need to include Rome. I can get a direct overnight flight from Dulles to Rome so I was looking at the option of catching a connecting flight vs taking a train from there. After reading your comment, I looked on google flights and it looks like I can do a multi city from Dulles with a connection through FCO to Brindisi, then from Bari with a connecting flight through FCO straight back to Dulles. Not spending any nights in Rome gives me a few more nights in Puglia if I want them. I like that idea!

John, even driving in a smaller city makes me a little nervous. I studied signs and thought I was prepared for driving in France and Italy in the past, but I seemed to forget everything I thought I'd learned when put on the spot. Are you suggesting I can rent a car just outside Lecce? That might not be so bad, plus if I do that, idea 3) would allow me to drive up the coast to PaM, which I read is a lovely drive.

I don't mind that things shut down for a few hours in the afternoon, but hope they aren't closed altogether for the season in March.

Glad to hear it--I think that is the best way to maximize your time.
Once you get the flights sorted, you can group the places you want a car and vice versa. The places we wanted to visit from Lecce required a car, so as long as you can get to your designated parking spot, you'll be fine!
If you want to pick up or drop off from Bari city, there are places near the train station, and we drove right out of town with no problem.
You might find some restaurants closed, but otherwise I don't think you will find too much difference aside from fewer crowds. I never made it to Polignano, so I can't speak to that location, but I would have zero qualms about any other place you are staying. PaM and Trani will be quiet, but by no means shuttered.
Year-round, the pausa can be an issue in a small village or even a larger town--have your lunch plans sorted! We did scenic walks or drives during that time usually, or went to a museum.

I doubt if there are many major rental agencies in Locorotondo.
I would rent the car in Bari and return it either in Bari or Brindisi.

Rent at the airports to avoid driving INTO those cities.
I would not rent from a tiny local agency, but from one of the big names. (I use SIXT but there are others)

Boat trips in Polignano in March----could be difficult to find but I would not know for certain. I'm sure your hotels can help, or you can contact a few of the agencies that offer boat tours.

The only place I'm concerned about needing a car rather than train/bus travel is the area of Locorotondo, Alberobello, Martina Franca and Matera, and honestly, it looks like I could rent a bike to get to Alberobello and Martina Franca from Locorotondo, but getting to Matera has me stuck. I looked at private transfer and taxi prices yesterday and it was rather expensive, but train/bus takes hours since it goes into Bari first. I'll have to give that some more thought. It would be great to avoid a rental car altogether if I can.

Haven't done it myself because we had a car, but I know there is a train and bus combo to Matera from Bari. Jean from Idaho and others on this forum have taken it.

Hello again everyone. I booked my flights today. I've been researching for weeks so I thought I'd run my latest ideas by the forum. I'm flying into and out of Rome. I land in Rome at 8:30am so I'll have time to catch a train south. I've got 17 nights. My plan so far:

(2) Trani

rent car at Bari airport

(2) Matera

(4) Martina Franca

return car to Bari airport or Brindisi airport

(3) Lecce

(3) Monopoli

(2) Bari

(1) Rome

I'm still uncertain about the idea of a rental car. I know I can do this trip with public transportation, but that has another set of challenges, so I haven't decided what to do yet. I'd appreciate any input you can offer.

Between my two trips to the Puglia region, I have been to the places you’re wanting. And yes, I just use public transportation, but if you have a car, it will be easier for the inland locations. I did rent an ebike in Alberobello to ride out in the countryside towards Locorotondo.

Martina Franca is nice, but oh, I would say to stay in a trullo somewhere, instead. It’s such a fun experience! And also a cave room at Matera. I did just take the train from Bari to Matera, and it was very easy….maybe 2 hours total & no car to worry about parking.

If you’re able to snag the specific B&B room at Polignano a Mare where I have stayed twice, I definitely recommend it!

Something I love is eating at outdoor restaurants. I don’t know how the March weather will be for that experience. I’ve been there both times in May. Have fun planning! So many great memories!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-week-italy-trip-to-puglia-plus-tivoli-rome-may-2025

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/my-1-month-independent-trip-to-southern-italy-tribute-to-my-husband

Ever since seeing the 2021 James Bond film with the opening scenes set in Matera, I’ve had Puglia &. Basilicata on my mind and we are finally going in early October. From reading and YouTube views here’s some impressions so far….

There are buses directly from Bari Airport to Matera taking about 1:15. There also are buses from Bari city center to Matera that take about 1 hour. The most time-efficient way to reach Matera is from either Bari location.

In looking for car rentals through AutoEurope, it appears that only Bari, Bari Airport and Lecce are locations you can connect to a car rental through AutoEurope. With Bari having a half million residents, I chose to pick up the car in Lecce ( pop. 85K) thinking it will be far easier to break into driving in Puglia where it’s not quite as congested as Bari.

Given enough time , buses and trains will get you almost anywhere you want to go. But given Puglia’s afternoon siesta, we didn’t want to be limited both by an infrequent transit network on top of businesses shutting down for several hours during the afternoon. With a car, three towns a day seems doable. Sticking strictly to public transit, it seems like getting to two a day is the limit and, again, with Puglia’s siesta, it seems like by the time you get to the second location, a lot of the town will be closed up. I don’t mind that so much because I enjoy just exploring and taking photos.
In March the sun sets about 5:45pm so that might impact whether you want to have a car.

The main train lines include Bari south to Polignano a Mare, Monopoli and Lecce. Trani is north of Bari. For the smaller towns like Alberobello,Locotorondo & Ostuni there is infrequent and slow train service while the buses are more frequent and generally faster. A town called Ceglie Messapica has caught my interest as well.

I have read that Otranto has been taken over by tourism with some saying there is no longer any thing “real” or authentic about it. I guess that would mean most businesses there now are tourist-oriented.

During early October the beaches should be another option when the towns are half closed during the afternoons. That was another factor in favor of having a car. And I’m glad I reserved the car a couple months ago because it seems there’s no longer any cars available through AutoEurope during the time we’ll be there.

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Fly to Bari, rent a car at the airport and drive everywhere. When looking for accommodations make sure you filter for “parking” availability. That’s what I do, although last week in Lecce I had to park in the streets (near the station where my hotel was).
Rental car locations with major companies are only in provincial capitals (Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, Lecce, Matera). Monopoli has a couple also.
Consider visiting Ostuni as well, it’s nice.
When driving in Italy use Waze navigator. It’s a must to be ready for police stops and speed cameras.
Carry drivers’ license, International Driver Permit, Passport, while driving. Random police road checks are common and they don’t need an excuse. I get pulled over by the carabinieri practically every year, including yesterday. In my case they always want to see my documents (the driver’s) and the passenger’s (my wife is black, and Italian police uses racial profiling to catch undocumented migrants).

I like the itinerary you've updated us with. You've planned it well and I don't see anything much to change.
Maybe I'd take a night from Monopoli and add it to Bari instead because there's more to wander around in Bari considering it won't be beach weather.
I often use a mix of public transport and car rental because either can be stressful for the whole holiday.
(Driving the whole time is a responsibility, but it's so nice to have a car for a few days after/before on and off trains for a few days!)
I live in Italy and have driven all over. The places you are planning to drive in Puglia are not stressful and everything will be quiet in March. Driving through the countryside in spring is beautiful!
No point in having a car in Trani, Bari or Monopoli, only extra hassle and expense.
Lecce no need if you intend to stay in Lecce. But you might be tempted to explore the Salento, places like Galatina, Otranto, which will be blissfully quiet that time of year, if you keep the car. Maybe in March you can keep your options open about that?

Are you planning to get the 1:15pm train Rome to Trani, changing trains in Barletta? I wondered because this fall we are landing in Rome at 6:00am and then taking the train to Lecce, and found that none of the train times are ideal --- our getting the 8:00am train seems unlikely since we're checking bags. We considered flying to Brindisi instead (which we've done before), but that actually seemed like more hassle than it's worth.

For you, there's a mid-day gap --- I don't think you can get that 10:00am train. Anyway, you can do what we do whenever we are stuck at Termini for a while --- we go have some food at the Mercato Centrale Roma inside the train station. It's like a really nice food court with much better food choices than you'd ever see normally, and also a bathroom way in the back. The Mercato is on the side of the station that faces southwest, so you go around to your left after exiting from the train area (the last time we were there we noticed that there wasn't a lot of good signage to it, but maybe that's fixed now).

Also, I agree with those who said that if you decide to have a car, stay in a trullo instead of in Martina Franca. We loved staying in one at Masseria Aprile near Locorotondo and we've also rented a trullo outside of Cisternino. Jean from Idaho enjoyed her trullo in Alberobello --- she could see the town before and after the tourist crowds.

(2) Trani
rent car at Bari airport
(2) Matera
(4) Martina Franca
return car to Bari airport or Brindisi airport
(3) Lecce
(3) Monopoli
(2) Bari
(1) Rome

Looks nice, but one thing to ponder: Instead of thinking in terms of bases, think in terms of day trips when deciding when to have the car. We especially wanted it in Lecce because we were driving to each coast. While driving in and out of Lecce can be a little hairy, it is worth it to be able to drive the coast, or to explore the Salento countryside. You just need to have a parking sorted in advance, but March should not be too difficult.
Also, compare what day trips you would do from Martina Franca and which ones you would do from Monopoli to make sure you apportion the car time accordingly.

Driving out of Bari is really easy (take note, @Kenko)--it's a straight shot away from the offices near the train station. I am not sure where the agencies are located in Lecce, but I'd be more worried about driving in Lecce. It is extremely difficult to approach the ZTL in Bari because of the way the city is laid out. Lecce is more of a warren. (Europcar has a place on the outskirts, but you'll have to get out there). If you are only driving in the Salento, then it makes sense to pick up in Lecce, I just wanted you to know that the Bari departure is not difficult.

Hi Valadelphia, Thanks for the alert on the Lecce ZTL Zone. After looking at the ZTL zones for Lecce, Polignano a Mare ( and with a separate car rental—Bolzano, some Dolomite towns and Padua), I reserved apartments just outside the ZTL zones. I figured to stay away from the medieval centers cuz all the ZTL’s encompass them and only the insane would want to drive into them and park anyway!

The non-ZTL zones start just outside the medieval centers and the train stations seem to always be outside of the ZTL zones.

Getting to Bolzano’s Otzi the Iceman is going to be a fun — the ZTL zone is right across the street from the museum!

Thank you for the responses everyone!

Jean, I'll admit, I've used your trip reports as a guide as I've planned. It seems many people say Monopoli is a better place to stay than PaM, but I have looked at the place you stayed overlooking the water and haven't ruled it out. I think I'd love sitting on the balcony in the morning and evening. Do you think there's much difference between staying in one place or the other? As for staying in a cave, I need lots of light and open space, so that's what I focus most on, wel,l that and a good view from a balcony. One reason I'm leaning toward having a car in Matera is the possibility of wandering the countryside surrounding the area a bit. There was a person here who did lots of hiking and I believe mentioned areas around Matera. I just have to find that trip report for details. I definitely need an easy place to park though if decide to drive.

I don't mind the short days when traveling since cities have a whole different feel once the sun goes down, but I definitely won't drive at night.

I was thinking I'd use public transportation to get outside Lecce. It sounds like the consensus is that keeping a car might be a good idea though, although I'd also want to park far enough outside the city that I could avoid traffic. I'm definitely keeping my options open for now.

I was figuring I'd probably have to take the afternoon train, but that gives me time to explore the termini and have lunch as you mentioned. I've only been there a few times and remember it as chaotic and confusing, so I appreciate the suggestion on where to have lunch.

So many decisions yet to make!

Just outside Matera, you can drive over to the park, or walk over the bridge up to the park (note to access the cave churches over there you need a tour). We also really enjoyed hiking in Laterza, where there is also a gorge known for its bird life (raptors in particular), and lots of wildflowers. Use caution if you are going by yourself (I’d be less worried about safety than getting lost).
The tour of Craco was also fantastic.